The Venerable Ãcariya Mun Bhýridatta Thera was a
vipassana meditation master of the highest caliber
of this present age; one who is truly worthy of the
eminent praise and admiration accorded to him by his
close disciples. He taught the profound nature of
Dhamma with such authority and persuasion that he
left no doubts among his students about the exalted
level of his spiritual attainment. His devoted
followers consist of numerous monks and laity from
virtually every region of Thailand. Besides these,
he has many more devotees in Laos, where both monks
and lay people feel a deep reverence for him.

His story is truly a magnificent one throughout:
from his early years in lay life through his long
endeavor as a Buddhist monk to the day he finally
passed away. Nowadays, a life of such unblemished
excellence is harder to come by than a lode of
precious gemstones.

Ãcariya Mun was born into a traditional Buddhist
family on Thursday, January 20, 1870, the Year of
the Goat. His birthplace was the village of Ban
Khambong in the Khongjiam district of Ubon
Ratchathani province. His father’s name was
Khamduang; his mother’s Jun; and his family surname
Kaenkaew. He was the eldest child of eight siblings,
though only two of them were still alive when he
passed away. A child of small stature with a fair
complexion, he was naturally quick, energetic,
intelligent, and resourceful. At the age of fifteen
he ordained as a novice1 in his village monastery
where he developed an enthusiasm for the study of
Dhamma, memorizing the texts with exceptional speed.
A young novice of affable character, he never caused
his teachers or fellows any trouble.

Two years into his new way of life his father
requested him to give up the robes, and he was
required to return to lay life in order to help out
at home. However, his fondness for the monk’s life
was so pronounced that he was certain he would
ordain again some day. His good memories of life in
a monk’s robes never faded. Thus, he resolved to
enter the monkhood again as soon as possible. This
strong sense of purpose was due, no doubt, to the
power of that indomitable faith, known as saddhã,
which was such an integral part of his character.

When he reached age twenty-two, he felt an urge to
ordain as a monk. So, for that purpose, he took
leave of his parents. Not wanting to discourage his
aspirations and having also kept the hope that their
son would ordain again someday, they gave their
permission. To this end, they provided him with a
complete set of a monk’s basic requisites for his
ordination. On June 12, 1893,2 he
received his Bhikkhu ordination at Wat Liap
monastery in the provincial town of Ubon Ratchathani.

His upajjhãya was the Venerable Ariyakawi;
his kammavãcariya was Phra Khru Sitha; and
his anusãsanãcariya was Phra Khru Prajuk
Ubonkhun.3 He was given the monastic name
“Bhýridatta”.4 After his ordination, he took
residence at Wat Liap in Ãcariya Sao’s vipassanã
meditation center.